Fluid-pressure regulator.



E.'J. ROHRBAGHER. FLUID PRESSURE REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21.1908.

Patented Mar. 8,1910.

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EDWARD J". ROHRBACHER, 0F BLAINE, WASHINGTON.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. S, 19M).

Original application filed B ebruary 15, 1908, Serial No. 416,091.Divided and this application filed May 21, 1908. Serial No. 434,212.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. Ronn sacrum, a citizen of the UnitedStates, re-

siding at Blaine, in the county of Whatcom and State of Washington, haveinvented a new and useful Fluid-Pressure Regulator, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improve.

ments in fluid pressure regulators for automatic governors for fluidcompressors, and is designed more particularly for use in congovernor ofthe said application is designed to operate under any fluid pressure andmore particularly under air pressure, it being con structed to permitthe passage of compressed air after the attaining of a predeterminedpressure, to an intermediate mechanism through which the compressed airis caused to actuate power controlling devices, so that the aircompressor is cut out of action on the attaining of the predeterminedpressure, and is held out of action by the accumulated pressure untilthe reservoir or source has been depleted to a predetermined extent,after which the air pressure maintaining the intermediate mechanism inactive position, is exhausted and the intermediate mechanism ispermitted to return to its initial position of inactivity.

The present invention has reference more particularly to theintermediate mechanism, whereby the compressed air, which latterthroughout this specification is to be considered merely as typical ofany compressed fluid, is caused to actuate a movable member against theaction of a constraining device in such manner as to simultaneously movea power controllingmeans to a commensurate degree. The power controllingmeans may be of any suitable kind, such as a valve or an electricswitch, or a belt, so that the valve or switch may be opened or closed,or the belt maybe shifted from a tight to a loose pulley, or thereverse, and the power be thereby rendered active or cut off, as thecase may be.

The invention willbe best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification, in which drawings- Figurel is an elevation with parts in section, showing one form of theintermediate mechanism forming the subject matter of the presentinvention wherein the mechanism is utilized for the purpose of operatinga belt shifter. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of another form ofintermediate mechanism. Fig. 3 is a view showing the application of thestructure illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a view showing theapplication of the structure illustrated in'Fig. 2.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In Figs. 8 and t there is indicated at 1 an automatic governorresponsive to differences in fluid pressure, and this governor may beconsidered as that shown and described in the aforesaid application. Thegovernor is so constructed that at a prede termined maximum pressure itwill open a conduit whereby the fluid under pressure will flow to theintermediate mechanism and actuate the same to shut off power, and whena predetermined minimum pressure is reached the governor will again actto relieve the intermediate mechanism from the action of the compressedfluid and the said mechanism will be actuated to again cause theapplication of power. This governor is in communication with a suitablereservoir of compressed air or other fluid through a pipe or conduit 2,and the compressed air passes from the governor by a pipe 3, the otherend of which is in free communication with one end of a cylinder 4 of astructure such as shown in Fig. 1, the

pipe? being connected to the cylinder by means of a neck 5. This neck isexternally threaded to receive a collar 6-, and thereby clamps a ring 7to the corresponding end of the cylinder, and from this ring 7 thereprojects an arm 8 terminating in a suitable hook 9 to which referencewill hereinafter be made. The end of the cylinder l remote from thatentered by the pipe 3 is open, and within the cylinder there is a hollowcylindrical piston 10 having the end toward the open end of the cylinderrounded outwardly as shown at 11. Secured to the end of the .piston 10adjacent to the closed end of the y e is a pa ki .2 held to the eyli irder by a suitable washer 13 and screw 14.

Pivoted to a fixed structure of any kind at one side of the cylinder 4is a bell crank lever 15, one arm 16 of which is arranged in the path ofthe rounded end 11 of the piston 10, and at its free end is formed intoa hook 17 to which is secured one end of a helical spring 18, the otherend of which is made fast to the hook 9 of the arm 8. The other arm 19of the bell crank lever 15 has its free end connected to a link 20 whichin turn has its free end formed into an eye 21 encircling a belt 22coming from some suitable source of power, and passing about a pulley 23on a counter-shaft 24, which in turn carries another pulley 25 adaptedto be engaged by the belt .21 when properly shifted. The counter-shaft24 carries another pulley 26 connected by a suitable belt 27 to 'apulley 28 on the crank shaft of a suitable air compressor 29.

g In the path of the arm 16 of the bell crank lever 15 is a stop 30which may, if desired,

be made adjustable, so as to accommodate the structure to varyingconditions of installation.

In the structure shown in Fig. 2, there is a cylinder 31, similar to thecylinder 4, ex-

cept that the end remote from that entered by the pipe 3 is closed by ahead 32 screwed into said cylinder, and this head is provided wlth acentral neck 33 internally threaded for the reception of an externallythreaded sleeve 34, having its outer end formed with a head 35 for theapplication of a wrench or other tool, and for preventing the sleevefrom being screwed to too great an extent through the head 32. IVithinthe cylinder 31 1s a piston 36 having applied to the face ad acent tothe end of the cylinder entered by the pipe 3, a packing ring 12, likethat applied to the piston 10. Screwed through the center of the piston36 is the threaded end of a piston rod 37, which threaded end projectsbeyond the packing 12 and has applled to it a nut 38 for confining thepackmg to the end of the piston by means of a suitable washer 39. Thepiston rod 37 extends centrally through the sleeve 34, which latter isof sufficient length to project a suitable distance into the interior ofthe cylinder, and this piston rod beyond the sleeve 34 1s connected by alink 40 to one end of the switch lever 41 of an electric switch. Withinthe cylinder 31 between the piston 36 and the head 32 there is confineda helical spring 42, surrounding the piston rod 37, and sleeve 34. Thetension of this spring may be adjusted by the head 32, which may bescrewed to a greater or less extent into the cylinder 31, and theextentof travel of the piston 36 is adjustable by means of the screwsleeve 34.

. The application of the structure shown in Fig. 2 is best shown in Fig.4, where it will be seen that the switch arm 41 when in the closedposition bridges terminals 43, 44 of an electric circuit 45, whichcircuit includes an electric motor 46 of any suitable type. This motormay drive a counter-shaft 47, by means of a suitable belt 48, and fromthe counter-shaft power is conveyed to the air pump 29 through asuitable belt 49. In Fig. 4 there is shown in connection with the airpump an air reservoir 50. This showing is to be taken as illustrativeonly, and not as indicating any relative proportions, since the airreservoir is shown very small in proportion to the size of the pump.Leading from the air reservoir is the pipe 2 which ultimately reachesthe governor 1 and may, of course, be branched oil at any intermediatepoint to convey the fluid under pressure to the point of utilization.

Let it be considered that the intermediate mechanism of Fig. 1 is in theposition shown in said figure, this being the posi tion which the partsassume when there is no air pressure in the reservoir. If it be furtherassumed that power is applied to the belt 22, which in this position ison the tight pulley 23, then motion is transmitted to the countershaft24 and pulley 26, and by the belt 27 to the pump 29. Air is therebypumped into the reservoir 50 and the pressure increases until thepredetermined maximum has been reached. The governor 1 which up to thistime has been in a position to close the cylinder 4 to the reservoirpressure, now responds to the predetermined pressure, and air under suchpressure is admitted through the pipe 3 to the interior of the cylinder4. This air pressure acting against the piston 10 forces the sameoutwardly and the lever 15 participates in this action through therounded end of the piston 1O bearing against the arm 16, this roundedend preventing any rubbing action between the piston and the arm 16,since 25, which is the loose pulley, and when this occurs power is outoil? from the pump 29, and the latter ceases to operate.

The governor 1 is so constructed that when equilibrium of pressure isestablished be tween the pressure side of the governor and the cylinder4, the pressure in the cylinder 4 is maintained even though the pressurein the reservoir should drop because the air therein is being utilizedfor some useful work. When, however, the air pressure in the reservoirhas reached a predetermined minimum, then the governor acts to open thecylinder t to the atmosphere, and the pressure in the cylinder israpidly re duced to atmospheric pressure thus causing a spring 18 to actto return the piston 10 to its normal position, and, at the same time,shift the belt 22 from the loose to the tight pulley. Then thiscondition of affairs occurs, the pump 29 is again put into action andthe pressure in the reservoir is caused to increase until thepredetermined maximum of pressure is reached, when the belt is againshifted as before described.

In the case of the structure shown in Fig. 2, the action of thereservoir pressure is the same as before, except that instead of a beltbeing shifted, the switch ll is closed or opened, as the case may be,and the motor is set into motion, or is stopped in accordance with theposition of the switch. In the structure shown in Fig. 2, provision ismade for adjusting the piston 36 to respond quickly or slowly to the airpressure, and the extent of movement of the piston is determined by theprojection of the sleeve 34 into the interior of the cylinder 31.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the variousdetails of construction illustrated, since these details may be changedin different manners without departing in any degree from the invention.

What is claimed is 1. In a device for compressing air or the like, ameans for coupling up and cutting off power from the compressingmechanism comprising a cylinder, a pipe leading from one end thereof andconstituting the means for the introduction into and escape ofcompressed air from the cylinder, a piston in ment of the piston.

9;. In a. device for compressing air or the like, a means for couplingup and cutting off power from the compressing mechanism 5 comprising acylinder, a pipe leading into one end thereof and constituting the onlymeans for the introduction into and escape of compressed air from thecylinder, a piston in the said cylinder, a piston rod carried 6 by thepiston, a lever connected to the outer end of the piston rod and at theother end carrying power controlling means, said lever being actuated tothe full extent of its travel at each movement of the piston, a 6:

spring within the cylinder and surrounding the piston rod, means carriedby the cylinder for adjusting the tension of the spring, and a sleevesurrounding the piston rod and terminating within the cylinder in thepath 71 of the piston, said sleeve being adjustable in the direction ofthe length of the cylinder and constituting an elongated guide for thepiston rod and a limiting abutment adapted to be engaged directly by thepiston. '75

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD J. ROHRBACHER.

Witnesses:

D. M. HORNE, J. A. BETTINE.

